Written Answers Friday 28 January 2011

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) BAA and (b) the UK Government regarding BAA’s plans to increase domestic passenger charges at Heathrow Airport from April 2011.

Keith Brown: I met with BAA’s Chief Executive Officer, Colin Matthews, on 19 January 2011 when I reiterated the Scottish Government’s concerns about the impact of the new charging structure on Scottish services to Heathrow. I also wrote on 20 January 2011 to the Secretary of State for Transport, Philip Hammond MP, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.

Air Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it envisages the impact on air services to and from Scotland will be of BAA’s plans to increase domestic passenger charges at Heathrow Airport from April 2011.

Keith Brown: Removing the domestic charging structure at Heathrow Airport and including domestic air services within a European charge will lead to increased charges for domestic access to Heathrow. We are concerned that this will be a disincentive to airlines to use Heathrow for domestic services and will place increased pressure on those existing services from Scottish airports. We do not accept that costs associated with international travel, including customs and immigration control, should be attributed to domestic services.

Air Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the possibility of a reduction in air services to and from Scotland as a result of BAA’s plans to increase domestic passenger charges at Heathrow Airport from April 2011.

Keith Brown: In the absence of a high-speed rail alternative for the foreseeable future, any reduction in Scotland’s connections to Heathrow Airport would be unwelcome. Heathrow’s position as a global hub continues to be very important for Scottish business and for inbound tourism.

Air Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need for competition between providers of air services to and from Scotland via Heathrow Airport.

Keith Brown: Where there is a sustainable market, competition can be beneficial, resulting in lower airfares for the consumer. We believe that such a market exists for air services from Scotland to Heathrow.

Alcohol Misuse

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting time is from referral to first assessment for alcohol addiction, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally.

  We are, however, introducing a drug and alcohol waiting times database which from 1 April 2011 will accurately capture national alcohol treatment waiting times. Data from this system will be published for the first time at the end of September 2011 and will provide a breakdown of data at both NHS board and alcohol and drug partnership level.

Autism

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Towards an Autism Strategy for Scotland , what audit it has undertaken of the number of clinicians fully trained and able to assess, treat and manage autism spectrum disorders.

Shona Robison: No audit has been undertaken to ascertain the number of clinicians trained to assess, treat and manage autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, funding has been made available to research the number who are waiting for diagnosis and assessment and the issues that may contribute to waiting lists, including appropriately trained staff.

  Within the strategy are recommendations designed to improve the training of staff to allow improved assessment and diagnoses.

  This work will be taken forward by the ASD reference group and the Scottish Government will continue to update the Parliament on the progress of the strategy.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been screened for bowel cancer in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The Scottish arm of the UK Colorectal Cancer Screening pilot commenced in NHS Fife, Grampian and Tayside in April 2000 and ran until May 2007. All men and women in these three areas aged between 50 and 69 were invited to participate. The total number of people who returned a screening kit and received a test result is in the following table:

  

NHS Board
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007


Fife
18,231
19,176
9,405
21,505
19,919
14,826
24,894
6,646


Grampian
25,578
15,833
28,450
36,849
31,845
23,943
34,921
15,458


Tayside
21,398
26,787
8,688
20,931
28,464
20,948
26,889
9,405


Total
65,207
61,796
46,543
79,285
80,228
59,717
86,704
31,509



  The bowel screening programme commenced a phased roll out across Scotland from June 2007 with all NHS boards participating in the programme from December 2009. All men and women between the ages of 50 and 74 are being invited to participate in the programme. The total number of people who returned a screening kit and received a test result is in the following table:

  

NHS Board
2007
2008
2009


Ayrshire and Arran
10,486
31,881
32,428


Borders
19
72
2,211


Argyll and Clyde
38
97
29,937


Fife
17,275
32,756
30,100


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
31
119
51,030


Highland
71
122
2,285


Lanarkshire
32
59
17,455


Grampian
28,124
47,059
52,602


Orkney
550
2174
2,222


Lothian
92
38,993
58,207


Tayside
22,821
36,468
38,692


Forth Valley
2,115
24,324
23,181


Western Isles
5
1,332
2,757


Dumfries and Galloway
28
1,246
15,975


Shetland
3
15
552


Total
81,690
216,717
359,634

Drug Misuse

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are being prescribed methadone, broken down by NHS board.

Fergus Ewing: There is currently no national routine information which reports the number of people in Scotland who are being prescribed methadone, broken down by NHS board. This data has never been available.

  Work is underway to collect this information via the Scottish Drugs Misuse Database (SDMD). The SDMD offers a profile of people with drug problems, based on reports submitted on individuals when they first attend a service for assessment of their drug misuse problems.

  The development of a follow-up reporting system for the SDMD, which is currently being rolled-out across Scotland, will allow patients to be tracked through the treatment system and will give us more information on the numbers of people engaging with treatment provision at any given time, what interventions have been delivered and treatment outcomes. This will include information on the numbers of people receiving specialist prescribing interventions related to the treatment of their drug use. Data will be collected from individuals at a three month follow-up session and subsequently annually thereafter.

  Information Services Division Scotland anticipates that follow-up data for 2011-12 (the first full years worth of data) will be reported from December 2012, but plans to release interim reports in 2011.

  Information on the number of prescriptions for methadone oral solution is currently reported by NHS Information Services Division Scotland. In 2009-10, there were 510,063 prescriptions for methadone oral solution, around 98 prescriptions per 1,000 population. In addition, prescribing rates of methadone oral solution remained stable at 96 methadone prescriptions per 1,000 population in the three years between 2006-07 to 2008-09, with a slight increase to 98 prescriptions per 1,000 population in 2009-10. Overall, methadone oral solution prescribing rates have risen by 9% over the last five years, from 90 per 1,000 population in 2005-06 to 98 prescriptions per 1,000 population in 2009-10.

  (Source: Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2010 published online by NHS Information Services Division Scotland in December 2010)

  It should be noted that individuals may have more than one prescription and therefore the number of prescriptions does not equate to the number of individuals.

Education Maintenance Allowances

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on Education Maintenance Allowance in (a) Dundee and (b) Angus in each year since 2007-08.

Angela Constance: Details of how much has been spent on Education Maintenance Allowances in Dundee and Angus in each academic year since 2007-08 are in the following table:

  

 
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Dundee
£624,710
£632,315
£697,430


Angus
£446,645
£456,680
£449,625

Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made regarding the amounts that might be realised from the sale of public assets in each year to 2015.

John Swinney: The 2011-12 draft budget contains estimated health capital receipts of £10 million. Additional receipts would add to capital spending within individual portfolios. Detailed decisions as to the scale and timing of future disposals are a matter for the next spending review.

  No central estimate of the amounts that might be realised from the disposal of estates assets is maintained across the Scottish public sector as property management is decentralised to the body holding the assets. However, the recommendations of the Asset Management Review, published in January 2008, set out the principles of the Scottish Government strategy on estates asset management, reinforcing the Scottish Public Finance Manual guidelines which require assets to be disposed of as soon as they are declared surplus.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many instances of dangerous driving by people under 25 have been recorded in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally. The police recorded crime data collected centrally is based on an aggregate return from each of the eight police forces in Scotland and does not include the ages of perpetrators.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 25 convicted of dangerous driving in each of the last five years have (a) received a lifetime ban, (b) had their car confiscated, (c) had their car seized and (d) had their licence removed.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information on persons disqualified from driving for dangerous driving in 2005-06 to 2009-10 is given in the following table.

  There were no disqualifications for life during this period. Information on the numbers of cars confiscated or seized is not held centrally.

  Persons Under 25 with a Charge Proved for Dangerous Driving1 who were Disqualified, from 2005-06 to 2009-10

  

 
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Total Convicted
430
548
558
455
383


Of Which Disqualified
404
474
461
431
352


Percentage Disqualified
94.0
86.5
82.6
94.7
91.9



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 25 have been convicted of causing death or serious injury through dangerous driving in each of the last five years and how many have (a) received a lifetime ban, (b) had their car confiscated, (c) had their car seized and (d) had their licence removed.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information on persons disqualified from driving for causing death through dangerous driving in 2005-06 to 2009-10 is given in the following table.

  There were no disqualifications for life during this period. Information on the numbers of cars confiscated or seized is not held centrally.

  Persons Under 25 with a Charge Proved for Causing Death Through Dangerous Driving1, from 2005-06 to 2009-10

  

 
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Total
10
12
13
8
12


Of Which Disqualified
8
10
13
7
11


Percentage Disqualified
80.0
83.3
100.0
87.5
91.7



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people previously convicted of dangerous driving had their licence renewed in 2010.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37905 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 December 2010, whether it can estimate what proportion of prisoners are employed in work parties at any one time.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  There are a range of activities and work opportunities offered to prisoners in jail which are defined as purposeful activities. The number of places currently available are recorded in the following attached.

  Prisoner Purposeful Activity Places by Establishment

  

Establishment
Number of Purposeful Activity Places Available
% of Eligible Prisoners1 Working


HMP Aberdeen
184
75%2


HMP Barlinnie
448
57%


HMP Cornton Vale
150
60%


HMP Dumfries
123
68%


HMP Edinburgh
556
63%


HMP Glenochil
446
61%


HMP Greenock
148 (41 Female) (107 Male)
79% Female71% Male



  Notes:

  1. Eligible Prisoners – all convicted prisoners who are fit to participate in work or in an approved form of purposeful activity. The % shown excludes those who refuse to attend or takes into account the % of the total in the circumstances for whom an approved activity is not available.

  2. The figure shown is expressed as a % of the total population as activity is offered to a number of untried prisoners.

  

Establishment
Number of Purposeful Activity Places Available
% of Eligible Prisoners3 Working


HMP Inverness
79
75%


Open Estate: HMP Castle Huntly
285
97%


Open Estate: HMP Noranside
140
97%


HMP Perth
571
60%


HMP Peterhead
150
90+%


HMYOI Polmont
443
60%


HMP Shotts
351
55%



  Note: 3. Eligible Prisoners – all convicted prisoners who are fit to participate in work or in an approved form of purposeful activity. The % shown excludes those who refuse to attend or takes into account the % of the total in the circumstances for whom an approved activity is not available.

  It is estimated that overall within the SPS about 65% of eligible prisoners take part in work and purposeful activity each day, Monday to Friday.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37905 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 December 2010, how many daily work places are available in prison work parties, broken down by establishment.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  There are a range of activities and work opportunities offered to prisoners in jail which are defined as purposeful activities. The number of places currently available are recorded in the following table.

  Prisoner Purposeful Activity Places by Establishment

  

Establishment
Number of Purposeful Activity Places Available


HMP Aberdeen
184


HMP Barlinnie
448


HMP Cornton Vale
150


HMP Dumfries
123


HMP Edinburgh
556


HMP Glenochil
446


HMP Greenock
148 (41 Female) (107 Male)


HMP Inverness
79


Open Estate : HMP Castle Huntly
285


Open Estate: HMP Noranside
140


HMP Perth
571


HMP Peterhead
150


HMYOI Polmont
443


HMP Shotts
351

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capacity is of HMP (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly and what the occupancy has been in each month in the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The design capacity of HMP Castle Huntly is as follows:

  1 January 2004 to 15 August 2005: 156

  15 August 2005 to 10 May 2006: 297

  10 May 2006 to 1 May 2007: 285.

  The design capacity of HMP Noranside is as follows:

  1 January 2004 to 26 May 2006: 135

  26 May 2006 to 1 May 2007: 140

  The design capacity of HMP Open Estate is as follows:

  1 May 2007 to 19 December 2008: 425

  19 December 2008 to 22 July 2009: 419

  22 July 2009 to present: 425

  The following tables show the average monthly population for HMP Castle Huntly, HMP Noranside and HMP Open Estate.

  HMP Castle Huntly

  

 
2004
2005
2006
2007


January
0
153
264
275


February
0
153
261
282


March
0
156
256
282


April
0
157
258
207


May
0
157
268
0


June
0
159
277
0


July
157
155
274
0


August
158
157
259
0


September
154
181
247
0


October
157
193
271
0


November
156
254
272
0


December
153
270
275
0



  HMP Noranside

  

 
2004
2005
2006
2007


January
0
134
140
164


February
0
138
141
161


March
0
137
143
164


April
0
136
141
121


May
0
137
138
0


June
0
138
146
0


July
137
134
146
0


August
138
135
160
0


September
137
127
165
0


October
134
135
165
0


November
133
138
165
0


December
132
139
164
0



  HMP Open Estate

  

 
2007
2008
2009
2010


January
0
465
316
237


February
0
470
319
229


March
0
443
316
230


April
0
377
302
225


May
446
339
297
232


June
470
339
296
241


July
481
354
277
253


August
483
353
264
250


September
492
348
250
258


October
493
358
248
266


November
486
355
247
278


December
479
344
256
281

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what income has been received from prisoner work at HMP (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly in each of the last 10 years.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The income received from prisoner work related activities within each establishment over the last ten years is as follows.

  The figures supplied relate to the financial year starting 1 April of the year highlighted

  (a):

  2000 - £87,503

  2001 - £111,864

  2002 - £117,192

  2003 - £60,040

  2004 - £23,246.

  (b):

  2000 - £6,125

  2001 - £870

  2002 - £20

  2003 - £0

  2004 - £40.

  As the Open Estate from 2005, the income was as follows:

  (c):

  2005 - £27,132

  2006 - £20,722

  2007 - £15,802

  2009 - £10,777

  2009 - £1,715.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional prison place funding has been paid to each prison in each of the last five years and for what purpose.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  The additional prisoner place funding paid to each public sector establishment over the last five years is as follows:

  

2010-11 Until December 10


Aberdeen
£8,500


Barlinnie
£696,110


Cornton Vale
£290


Dumfries
£5,900


Edinburgh
£67,560


Greenock
£46,630


Inverness
£24,690


Perth
£19,405


Total Net Funding for 2010-11
£253,875



  

2009-10


Aberdeen
£30,630


Barlinnie
£1,535,610


Cornton Vale
£5,480


Edinburgh
£45,080


Greenock
£45,500


Inverness
£51,630


Polmont
£95,450


Shotts
£3,690


Total Net Funding for 2009-10
£994,710



  

2008-09


Aberdeen
£35,580


Barlinnie
£1,751,930


Cornton Vale
£115,450


Dumfries
£34,060


Edinburgh
£197,750


Glenochil
£214,810


Greenock
£218,100


Inverness
£75,560


Perth
£139,750


Polmont
£220,690


Shotts
£7,740


Total Net Funding for 2008-09
£2,550,890



  

2007-08


Aberdeen
£23,520


Barlinnie
£799,960


Cornton Vale
£120,010


Dumfries
£20,450


Edinburgh
£135,930


Greenock
£44,230


Polmont
£149,130


Total Net Funding for 2007-08
£819,630



  

2006-07


Barlinnie
£1,088,040


Cornton Vale
£60,550


Edinburgh
£97,460


Greenock
£14,870


Perth
£19,080


Polmont
£123,490


Total Net Funding for 2006-07
£1,204,980



  The purpose of this funding is to compensate prisons for the expenditure associated with holding prisoners in addition to the number they are resourced to hold.

  Private sector prisons are contracted to provide a baseline number of available prisoner places. Additional places can be purchased in tranches up to a maximum level and the contractual payment mechanism defines how each tranche is priced. Contracts are published on the SPS website.

  The net funding position for each financial year includes reductions in funding for those establishments that have been holding less prisoners than the number that they are resourced to hold.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what bonuses have been paid to Scottish Prison Service staff in each of the last five years, broken down by grade, and for what purpose.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has paid two types of bonus to its staff over the last five years:

  1. Performance Bonus: paid to staff who achieve the highest performance rating under the SPS Personal Performance Management System (PPMS).

  2. Special Bonus Payments: Paid to staff in recognition of a particular piece of outstanding endeavour. The annual budget for which was £100,000

  It should be noted that both schemes have been suspended and no bonuses will be paid under either scheme in 2011.

  A breakdown by grade of the number of recipients and the total spent is as follows.

  Performance Bonus Payments October 2006 to September 2007

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients (CEE)
CEE Bonus Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
13
7,877


C
75
68,222


D
190
222,749


E
114
154,225


F
32
57,012


G
20
38,674


H
8
18,251


I
11
27,735


Practitioner Nurse
11
12,990


Clinical Manager
4
5,456


Health Centre Manager
4
7,095


Totals
482
620,286


Staff Costs (2005-06)
 
127,019,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.5%



  Special Bonus Payments 2006

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients
Special Bonuses Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
24
4,865


C
65
11,115


D
164
23,375


E
61
10,240


F
7
1,505


G
10
2,505


H
4
1,055


I
2
500


Practitioner Nurse
4
680


Clinical Manager
2
330


Health Centre Manager
0
0


Totals
343
56,170


Staff Costs (2005-06)
 
127,019,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.04%



  Performance Bonus Payments October 2007 to September 2008

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients (CEE)
CEE Bonus Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
23
15,749


C
83
76,124


D
198
244,291


E
111
159,874


F
32
54,556


G
28
52,891


H
8
18,888


I
13
33,408


Practitioner Nurse
10
11,679


Clinical Manager
4
5,935


Health Centre Manager
4
7,256


Totals
514
680,651


Staff Costs (2006-07)
 
131,984,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.5%



  Special Bonus Payments 2007

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients
Special Bonuses Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
44
7,825


C
91
13,425


D
234
37,090


E
82
16,825


F
38
8,550


G
24
7,175


H
4
925


I
2
700


Practitioner Nurse
7
1,200


Clinical Manager
2
400


Health Centre Manager
0
0


Totals
528
94,115


Staff Costs (2006-07)
 
131,984,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.07%



  Performance Bonus Payments October 2008 to September 2009

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients (CEE)
CEE Bonus Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
14
9,948


C
75
73,576


D
210
261,737


E
81
121,643


F
33
56,466


G
17
32,686


H
7
16,360


I
6
17,349


Practitioner Nurse
11
12,912


Clinical Manager
2
3,178


Health Centre Manager
0
0


Totals
456
605,855


Staff Costs (2007-08)
 
132,329,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.5%



  Special Bonus Payments 2008

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients
Special Bonuses Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
27
4,700


C
81
15,705


D
229
44,704


E
65
16,280


F
24
7,085


G
5
1,000


H
1
500


I
2
900


Practitioner Nurse
11
2,050


Clinical Manager
5
1,150


Health Centre Manager
1
300


Totals
451
94,374


Staff Costs (2007-08)
 
132,329,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.07%



  Performance Bonus Payments October 2009 to September 2010

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients (CEE)
CEE Bonus Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
18
11,725


C
87
78,227


D
203
265,109


E
92
145,754


F
32
53,973


G
23
46,640


H
9
22,714


I
7
18,860


Practitioner Nurse
10
12,936


Clinical Manager
3
4,899


Health Centre Manager
2
4,008


Totals
486
664,845


Staff Costs (2008-09)
 
135,936,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.5%



  Special Bonus Payments 2009

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients
Special Bonuses Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
28
5,872


C
106
19,090


D
233
43,509


E
58
11,955


F
25
7,300


G
6
2,583


H
1
500


I
0
0


Practitioner Nurse
24
3,350


Clinical Manager
3
450


Health Centre Manager
1
250


Totals
485
94,860


Staff Costs (2008-09)
 
135,936,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.07%



  Performance Bonus Payments October 2010 to December 2010

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients (CEE)
CEE Bonus Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
14
8,748


C
71
74,200


D
214
295,092


E
75
123,979


F
24
43,795


G
23
53,319


H
9
25,260


I
6
19,165


Practitioner Nurse
5
6,930


Clinical Manager
5
8,360


Health Centre Manager
3
6,156


Totals
449
665,004


Staff Costs (2009-10)
 
137,343,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.5%



  Special Bonus Payments 2010

  

Pay Band
Number of Recipients
Special Bonuses Payments (£)


A
0
0


B
22
5,111


C
65
12,831


D
109
23,823


E
20
5,350


F
13
2,680


G
1
300


H
0
0


I
0
0


Practitioner Nurse
1
200


Clinical Manager
1
150


Health Centre Manager
0
0


Totals
232
50,446


Staff Costs (2009-10)
 
137,343,000


Bonus Cost as % of Total Staff Costs
 
0.04%



  Note: Total staff costs taken from the SPS Annual Report and Accounts.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budgets have been for (a) prison visiting committees and (b) the Association of Visiting Committees in each of the last three years.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table details the direct budgets allocated to and spent by prison Visiting Committees (VCs), the Association of Visiting Committees and Legalised Police Cells Visiting Committees over the last three fiscal years:

  

 
2007-08 Budget
2008-09 Budget
2009-10 Budget


Allocated
Spent
Allocated
Spent
Allocated
Spent


Prison VC Budgets
£37,050.00
£40,933.44
£44,200.00
£41,076.90
£41,527.49
£44,380.07


Legalised Police Cells VC
£3,158.75
£4,642.57
£3,158.75
£3,865.61
£3,158.75
£4,021.94


AVC Budget
£27,241.25
£26,671.83
£27,241.25
£25,945.34
£27,241.25
£27,103.50


Total Budget
£67,450.00
£72,247.84
£74,600.00
£70,887.85
£71,927.49
£75,505.51



  In addition to these direct running costs, which are administered by the SPS on behalf of Scottish ministers, there are additional costs for covering expenses incurred by elected councillors who fulfil the VC member role. The SPS does not record these additional expenses.

  There are also in-year costs for one-off expenditure such as recruitment advertising for new VC members which is borne by SPS.

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32624 by Kenny MacAskill on 13 April 2010, how many prisoners obtained (a) SQA and (b) vocational qualifications in 2009-10, broken down by prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  Information on the number of SQA Qualifications obtained in 2009-10 and the number of prisoners who attained them is set out in the following tables:

  Information on other vocational qualifications is presently being collected from establishments. I will write to the member with this information as soon as it becomes available.

  SQA Education Qualifications:

  

Prison
2009-10


 
Number of Prisoners
Number of SQA Education Qualifications


Aberdeen
68
260


Addiewell
0
0


Barlinnie
249
1033


Cornton Vale
81
143


Dumfries
97
200


Edinburgh
226
524


Glenochil
77
190


Greenock
167
405


Inverness
68
170


Kilmarnock
86
116


Open Estate
22
61


Perth
209
656


Peterhead
60
132


Polmont
184
482


Shotts
127
333


Total Education
1,721
4,705



  SQA Vocational Qualifications:

  

Prison 
2009-10


Number of Prisoners
Number of SQA Vocational Qualifications


Addiewell
66
66


Barlinnie
152
915


Cornton Vale
9
40


Dumfries
23
117


Edinburgh
123
376


Glenochil
41
156


Greenock
24
108


Open Estate
100
502


Perth
179
1,099


Peterhead
26
143


Polmont
132
546


Shotts
6
33


Total Vocational
881
4,101


Total Education and Vocational
2,602
8,806

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32624 by Kenny MacAskill on 13 April 2010, what progress has been made in developing the information regarding qualifications gained by prisoners during time spent in custody and whether further information is now available as a result of this progress.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38833 on 28 January 2011 advising that information on other vocational qualifications is currently being collected from establishments. I will write to the member with this information as soon as it becomes available.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21939 by Kenny MacAskill on 13 March 2009, what progress has been made on the evaluation of the suitability of the identified sites for the proposed HMP Highland.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) announced in October 2008 that it planned to replace HMP Inverness with a new prison, HMP Highland. Work was taken forward in conjunction with Highland Council to identify potential sites for this development within or near to Inverness. This exercise identified a number of sites which merited consideration and further detailed work was then carried out to evaluate the suitability of these sites. From this work, SPS identified that the most suitable site for the development was a site owned by Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) which is located adjacent to the Inverness Retail Park. SPS met with HIE on 2 September 2010 to discuss the possible sale of the site land. HIE confirmed at this meeting that it would not be prepared to sell the land to SPS therefore SPS is currently considering its options for taking forward the proposed development.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions each prison breached its assessed operational limit in 2010.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The assessed operational limit (AOL) was last reported in the answer to question S3W-32621 on 15 April 2010. However, it has not been actively used for some time.

  The AOL was introduced in 2008 to assist in managing the consequential risks associated with the pressure on the prison system. It was used to establish the numerical level at which prison management assessed they could safety operate the establishment in the short term.

  The AOL is a dynamic risk assessment of the number of prisoners beyond which Governors assess there to be unacceptable risks taking into account the health and safety of both prisoners and staff, the need to deliver an acceptable regime, European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and other minimum requirements

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Public Bodies

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what companies or other organisations it (a) wholly owns, (b) partially owns only with other public authorities listed in Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and (c) partially owns with organisations or individuals not listed in Schedule 1 to the Act.

John Swinney: (a) Companies in which the Scottish Ministers are the sole shareholder and companies limited by guarantee established solely by the Scottish Ministers are as follows:

  Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd;

  David MacBrayne Ltd;

  Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd;

  Scottish Futures Trust Ltd;

  Architecture and Design Scotland Ltd;

  Learning and Teaching Scotland Ltd;

  Skills Development Scotland Company Ltd.

  (b) The Scottish Ministers are not joint shareholders in any company, and have not established any company limited by guarantee, together with other Scottish public authorities listed in Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOI(S)A).

  (c) Companies in which the Scottish Ministers are joint shareholders, or companies limited by guarantee that have been established jointly by the Scottish Ministers, together with organisations not listed in Schedule 1 to the FOI(S)A are as follows:

  Partnerships UK Ltd;

  Student Loans Company Ltd;

  Energy Saving Trust Ltd;

  Carbon Trust.

Rail Services

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) rail operators since 6 December 2010 regarding information available to the public on adjusted train timetables and, in particular, the accuracy of the live train departures internet system.

Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38259 on 13 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Renewable Energy

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the report on its consultation on permitted development rights for microgeneration technologies on non-domestic buildings.

Keith Brown: The draft proposed secondary legislation was notified to the European Commission under the Technical Standards Directive (98/34/EC) on 17 November, setting out the permitted development rights we intend to introduce. The proposals can be viewed on the European Commission’s website at:

  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tris/pisa/app/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=pisa_notif_overview&iYear=2010&inum=731&lang=EN&sNLang=EN.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive 2010, what progress has been made on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and when it anticipates that the road will be fully operational.

Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-11578 on 7 October 2010. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliament’s website, the official report can be viewed at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-10/sor1007-02.htm#Col29457 .